Tap... tap... tap...goes the foot, followed by a deep sigh. A queue in the Post Office that features all the malice and unsavoury air you’d expect of a illegal dog fight, a rain-soaked wait for a bus that never comes, and getting stuck behind someone at a supermarket checkout who’s more interested in what the checkout girl is doing later than actually buying food. It’s the kind of experience that’s enough to induce an aneurysm, especially if you have kids in tow – little ones who have clearly inherited your lack of patience.
As a species, it sometimes seems we’re just not cut out for the act of waiting. It’s times like these when we begin to think we just haven’t evolved the ability to tolerate delays. Yet we spend years happily waiting for some things. Good things come to those who wait, after all. That’s why we wait for years for the dream home and the man who will eclipse all others. And why we’re happy to kill a couple of months until the new Sex and the City film, because we know it’ll be even better for the anticipation.
It just goes to show we can display a modicum of patience when we want to. So next time you’re about to blow a gasket because you’re stuck behind a learner driver on the school run, take a deep breath and remember embracing the delay could just lead to the life-changing moment you’ve been waiting for.
Nissan has announced that it is to produce its new electric car, the Leaf, in Sunderland. With Renault beginning production of its electric models in 2011 and Honda's FCX Clarity gaining popularity in California, the electric revolution is gathering pace. If Britain can take the lead in carbon reducing technologies then maybe our once world beating manufacturing industry can rise again and throw down the gauntlet to the global economy.
The rise of electric cars does leave our large multinational oil companies with some interesting questions. Shell announced this week that they intend to increase production by 11% to 3.5 million barrels a day in 2012. They also revealed further job losses despite years of mind boggling profits. Are the oil companies making hay when the sun shines? Cutting costs and maximising profits whilst they can? After all if a car no longer needs petrol...
Last night the greatest dog show on Earth reached its conclusion for 2010. But the stain on its reputation, left by a damning 2008 BBC documentary threatens to overshadow this celebration of man’s best friend forever.
The documentary maintained that the breed standards, used by dog shows, including Crufts, to judge show dogs, encourage the selective breeding which contributes to disease and deformity in specific breeds. And there is very little veterinary evidence to the contrary. Dog breeders have known for years about hip problems in Labradors, heart disease and brain disorders in Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, and digestive problems and tumours in Boxers, amongst others. Even the healthily proportioned Hungarian Vizsla breed, that was named Best in Show this year, is prone to a neuromuscular disorder.
But the domestic dog is the most diverse species on Earth, encompassing everything from the Great Dane to the Yorkshire Terrier; the Chinese Crested to the Hungarian Puli. And this simple fact means there is no quick fix. Their diversity is a result of centuries of selective breeding and it will take generations to right the wrongs.
The Kennel Club is investing in research, screening programmes and initiatives to combat inherited diseases, and much more must be done in the coming years. But in the meantime, it’s worth remembering that the notion all dog breeds are sick is ludicrous, as is the argument that cross-breeds are healthier.
Coping with the cold over the past few months has required all manner of ingenuity. Layers have taken on a whole new meaning and hats with animal ears have suddenly become the height of fashion for girls over the age of 36 months.
But one man has taken coping with the extreme temperatures to a whole new level. TV and radio presenter Tim Shaw (above, in more sociable times) has locked himself inside a box, measuring just 3 feet high, 4.5 feet wide and 8 feet long, for 30 days and 30 nights.
As much as he likes hedgehogs, this is not just an extreme form of hibernation. It’s a competition where you have 30 days and 30 nights to find him. Even he has no idea where he is; the only clue is that the location has some personal significance to him and he has visited it at some point in his 35 years. All you have to do is listen as in solitary confinement he recalls the events of his life, and plot the co-ordinates of his location. If your co-ordinates are correct, you receive £30,000 cash, the door lights turn green and his ordeal is over.
All profits are donated to Help for Heroes and there are eight days left to locate him. Visit http://www.maninbox.co.uk/ to find out more.
